The Valley of the Shadow of Death
by Shadow In Darkness
Summary: The most difficult stage of the Spirit Detectives adventures now begin as the depths of the underworld open before them. Imminent doom is everywhere, and they have little power against it.


_Title:_ As I Walk Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death

_Rating:_ PG-13

_Genre:_ Tragedy/Action/Adventure

_Summary:_ The most difficult stage of the Spirit Detectives adventures now begin as the depths of the underworld open before them. Imminent doom is everywhere, and they have little power against it.

_POV:_ Kuwabara's... wow. My fictions have been really Kazuma centered lately. Maybe I'm trying to make people understand that Kuwabara has his quirks even though his stupidity does hide them -sigh- And quite well if I may say so.

_Warnings:_ Uh, well, nothing really bad is in here. Apart from the fact that the deaths really start to mount... but the violence is pretty mild from where I stand. Mild cursing as well, but I mean, it's the end of the World, how can you not curse?

_Disclaimer:_ -humming- Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high. There's a land that I heard of, once on adult swim (which I don't own). Somewhere over the rainbow, the guys are all hot. And the 'dreams' that you dare to dream, really do come true (wink, wink). Someday I'll wish upon a star, and wake up where the covers are, wrapped around me (and Kurama)...

_Another note:_ Kokuei, when translated from Japanese, is Dark Shadow. I just felt it was more fitting then anything else I could come up with.

_A/N:_ Sorry about the "disclaimer", I seriously could help myself. Anyway, I would like to thank the reviews of my other one-shots in here (even though they may not be reading this, I just want to thank them). Thank you guys SO much!

Getting back to this story, um... just so you know, this might be one of the most confusing stories I've ever written. So please bear with me. Also, there are two parts to this story. It's a "two-shot"... but... It will take a while for the second half to come out. Anyway, thanks and enjoy.

The Valley of the Shadow of Death-----------

CHORUS: Why do you cry thus, unless at some vision of horror?

CASSANDRA: The house reeks of death and dripping blood.

CHORUS: How so? 'Tis but the odor of the altar sacrifice.

CASSANDRA: The stench is like a breath from the tomb.

Aeschylus, _Agamemnon_

He sat wearily on the very edge of his chair, his mouth set in a steady, nervous grin as we trudged into the outsized, sunlit office. Yusuke walked right up to his desk, slamming his hands down and fixing him with a piercing stare.

"Man Koenma," Yusuke finally smirked, lifting his hands up to rest behind his head, "There must be some serious crap going on for you to call us here!"

"I know!" I exclaimed, folding my arms across my chest and nodding over at the toddler Prince. I was totally dazed. Since when did Koenma call us to his office? I can't recall even one time. I only remember him sending along a videotape or a Botan. Maybe we were getting medals or something along that line. It was about time for something like that. Yusuke and I had been 'working' for Koenma since we were fifteen, and we were almost in our mid-twenties now. I smiled around the room, but apart from me and Yusuke, everyone seemed to be really uptight. Kurama and Hiei were each watching Koenma with something that looked oddly like... anxiety? Well Kurama anyway. The Shrimp had on his normal "the-whole-world-sucks-and-I-don't-want-to-participate" look.

"I'm glad you could make it." Koenma whispered, his usually shrill voice oddly hushed, "There is something that... has been called to my attention. Botan," The ferry girl popped up from behind the office door, "have you made the preparations?"

"Yes Sir," she bowed, "the rooms are ready for them."

"Good. You may go." Botan hurried out of the room, closing the door soundlessly behind her. Koenma sighed and leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers together and closing his eyes. Sure signs that he was about to give us a rather long speech.

"I don't know if any of you have heard about the Kokuei?" he asked, opening an eye and looking around at our group.

"Uh... can't say that I have..." Yusuke admitted, scratching behind his ear.

"Should we?" I asked. From the looked that had graced Kurama's face for a brief moment, it was something we probably should.

"They are a group of... well... just who is behind the Kokuei exactly and what they ultimately want is a bit of a mystery." Koenma explained, "But... if they were ever to gain definitive control over Demon World and Human World... Spirit World would eventually fall as well. Nothing could stop them. Your world would become a decimated waste land..."

"The Apocalypse." Hiei whispered his voice husky. I stared at Koenma a little nonplus. The Apocalypse...

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time we were faced with that." I smiled, but no one shared my view.

"The thing is we have never been faced with something this evil. The only thing we have ever seen is half-hearted attempt at wickedness. You don't know pure evil... it's not that they just defy good but they ignore it so completely, as if it simply didn't exist." Kurama muttered, "But... I thought you had already dealt with this group?"

"Yes... many centuries ago, the Kokuei first came to my attention." Koenma swiveled his chair around, so that we were facing the back of his puffy velvet chair. He looked out his oversized window and let out a sigh. "Kokuei reputation for banditry and violence against anyone who rivaled them became legendary with great speed. For the longest time, a disproportionate number of the reports of bloodshed that crossed my desk pointed to Kokuei and their followers as the perpetrators... Kokuei is the very opposite of my father and me. They did so many horrible deeds... bad things..." Koenma turned back to us, hanging his head.

"What were those 'bad things'?" Yusuke asked, and got a very annoyed frown on his face when Koenma shook his head and wouldn't elaborate. Instead, he fixed Yusuke with his unsettling grin, and his voice, already a whisper, became softer.

"Everything you can think of... maybe some other things too." Koenma uttered, "All that, and perhaps."

Hiei shifted in his position next to Kurama, and I could tell that his mind was filling with all the things he had done in his life and tripling them.

"The Kokuei had succeeded in taking control of Demon World which is actually a very difficult task."

"Difficult?" I asked incredulously, "Demons are already bent of mass destruction... I don't think it would be hard at all to make them join the group."

"In fact, it is quite a feat. Have you ever wondered how hard it is to unite the whole of Demon World? Every single demon cooperating with one another isn't something you see everyday." Hiei drawled, looking over at me, his face blank.

"Oh."

"Anyway, with the whole of Demon World at their beckon call, they pored into Human World. I saw that the situation was becoming very grave," Koenma recalled, "The violence was increasing... uncertainty clouded the air. Mass panic in all the parts of every world... and everywhere, they all started to turn against us. They thought we were to blame otherwise, why didn't we do anything to stop it?

"We in Spirit World had a number of options when it came to what to do." Koenma explained gravely, "We chose the wrong one. We chose the very worst one."

That seemed like a surprisingly candid remark from one who was among the most powerful figures in Spirit World... Koenma evidently felt he had little left to lose. And that got me worried.

"My idea—the one we chose to use—was to just get Kokuei... and contain them—sort of trap them—in one place. To just let things quite down everywhere," he said. The Prince of Spirit World shrugged with a grin, "And who knew, maybe just leaving everything alone, things would sort out themselves."

"And why wouldn't you just... ya know... kill 'em?" I ask, glancing around at the room. Kurama answered my question without looking up.

"Kokuei can not be killed Kuwabara," he said gently, "They are a certain kind of demon... actually, demon isn't the right word. They are closer to being what Koenma is then demon. They are like... spirits. Kokuei can't be killed by the means you are thinking of... maybe it is possible to do away with them. But the approach is unknown. Do you understand?" Kurama fell silent. I nodded, and turned back to Koenma, who had begun to continue his tale. He looked worn out, almost lifeless, a surprising thing to see on someone who was in the form of a toddler.

"It was a mistake to trap Kokuei in a dead and almost uninhabited world." Koenma sighed ruefully, "I will never forget the day they cut us off. We were unable to get into the world... and we had no idea what was going on. We were a little distressed in the beginning, but then we simply came up with the thought that they were purely locked inside themselves. As unable to get out, as we were to get in," a small laugh, strained and almost forced, came forth after that remark, which caused Yusuke to shift around uneasily. Kurama and Hiei exchanged steely glances.

"It was a real shock to see them a few weeks ago, alive and well with hoards of followers." Koenma slumped down in his chair, his face shielded with his hands, "They have already succeeded in binding Demon World to them... and your world is next."

"Then what the hell are we waiting for!" Yusuke yelled, "I'm reading to go kick this Dark Shadow's ass!"

"Actually Yusuke... we are going to keep you all here." Koenma whispered.

"Hu?" I asked. What was Koenma talking about?

"We are going to let Kokuei think they have won... and then send you down to fight them off. You will be staying here, watching them, training, and waiting for a year. Then we will send you back down." Koenma explained.

"But..." we all turned to Kurama who had become quite pale, "but... what about those on Earth?"

"They will just have to wait a while for their saviors..." Koenma didn't make eye contact.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Yusuke screamed. I stared at Koenma's shaking figure in shock. We were simply going to leave the ones we loved down on Earth for a friggin year? What about Shizuru? How about Yusuke's mom and Keiko? Did he expect Kurama to stand by and watch his mother die? For me to keep idle as Yukina, the woman I loved, got slaughtered?

"Botan... take them to their rooms..." Koenma's voice shook and he still wouldn't look Yusuke in the eye, even as he yelled curses and threats out at him.

"You damn coward! How could you think that? ANSWER ME!... LET ME GO!" Kurama and Hiei had grabbed onto him as he lunged for Koenma, "I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THEM!" Tears streamed down his face as Kurama and Hiei pulled him to the door, Hiei's face twitching with anger, Kurama's face hard and cold as stone. Botan opened it and they pushed Yusuke threw. I still stood in Koenma's office, unable to move.

"I... I had to." I turned at the sounds of Koenma's squeaky voice, "There was no choice... you understand that right?" I stared at him before curtly nodding.

"Yes Sir, I understand." I headed to the door, opened it ajar and slipped out.

One Year Later-------

The air was crisp and cool as it ruffled my hair. I looked over at Yusuke who had his arms folded across his chest, the edges of his mouth fixed downward, as they had been almost the whole year we resided in Spirit World. I look past him to Kurama. I sighed, seeing that nothing was playing on his features, not a smile, frown, grimace, or smirk. That hadn't been through the entire year... only when Botan had informed him that his mother had been... slain. I let a heavy breath escape from my lips and looked below. I wasn't surprised to see only clouds and endless sky under me.

I had been a little freaked out when we had been enlightened to the fact we were flying to Human World on Botan's oar. I mean, that thing looks way to small right? Well, surprisingly, we were all fitting, and I felt positively... almost not freaked out. But Botan's commentary didn't help much.

"Hum, we will be experiencing a little turbulence right now and—OH MY GOSH!" The oar started to buck and we were almost tossed over the front. That went on for a few moments until Botan steered us out.

"Wow, didn't think we going to make it that time!" She piped up cheerfully. I saw Hiei, from his perch on her lap (a spot he had accepted grudgingly), give her a resentful glare. He looked absolutely livid.

I closed my eyes; bringing to my mind the memory of what Koenma had said to us before we had left. He had tried to comfort us with the thought that the truly strong and pure on earth would be saved. Kokuei would take down the easily corrupted first, and bring those who were already tainted down the path of wickedness. But the pure of heart and mind would be resilient and ultimately saved in the end. Yusuke wasn't buying it though. Two near us had already died. Kurama's and Yusuke's mothers would be avenged savagely.

Until last year, Tokyo was a bustling city and on weekends our downtown was a cacophonous scene of venders selling black-market items, families buying their groceries, women hanging out their windows carrying on conversations with by passers, young children chasing after each other on their way to the park, and street gangs down in the alleys watching them all. Now those houses and stories are empty, many burned to the ground, and the survivors live in squalid tent cities within the city.

It just kind of blows my mind that it wasn't always so. Our central square is just a great stretch of bare ground with no trees or, most of the time, people. Everything in the city only seems to underscore the surrounding emptiness.

I walked into the middle of the vacant land, bent down, and touched the scorched earth. Kurama was saying something, but I couldn't make out the words. An odd sensation had come over me and it felt like a... tickle. I vaguely distinguished that Botan had walked up behind me.

Both of us suddenly trembled—me because I did not know what was coming, Botan because she knew.

And then it came.

It was fiery, bright, and ruthless, ready to kill, ready to die.

A scream penetrated the air behind me. I whipped around in time to see Botan scream, tears streaming from her eyes, as a bright light erupted from her body. I stared in shock and utter bewilderment as she fell to her knees, her tears still flowing freely.

"What the hell is going on?" I heard Yusuke yell, confusion mingled with fear threaded into his words.

No one offered an answer. No one had one.

I, along with the group, watched in horror, unable to help. The shattering cry of the ferry girl continued, and the light searing from her body intensified. And then... it stopped. Botan's body dropped to the ground and lay there.

I walked, shakily, over to her lifeless body. Yes, I knew she had died. I didn't need it confirmed.

"But why?" I asked as I bent down beside her jumbled corpse. Unexpectedly, it started to disappear, little by little, until nothing was left of the chipper ferry girl.

"How did they know we were here?" Yusuke whispered, "We need to get out of here." He glanced around as he tugged me up and away from the spot.

"OK, what I want to know is what the hell happened to Botan." Yusuke stated after he had dragged me a ways along. He turned around and cast a questioning glance at Kurama.

"I'm. Not. Sure..." Kurama tried to explain but to no avail, "I guess... it's because she's a pure being—like an Angel—and being in a place so polluted with malice, she just couldn't take it. And 'They' must have known we had arrived."

A moment of silence followed.

"Wait..." I exclaim, "Let me get this all straight: King Enma is God, which makes Botan like an Angel, and since we work for Koenma... that means we're disciples!" The guys eyed me with obvious mystification.

"Let's go find everyone..." Yusuke declared, and walk off. Kurama and Hiei shrugged and followed suit.

"Yusuke!" A call rang shrilly through the air, and Yusuke whipped around, his eyes moist.

"Keiko..." he whispered, as he searched the opening for his girlfriend. Suddenly, there she was, running to him, tears streaming down from her big doe-eyes. Behind came Yukina, dirt smudged all over her pale skin, her eyes wide and red.

"Kazuma... Hiei... all of you..." she murmured, her voice oddly scratchy. I rushed over to her and engulfed her in a warm embrace. I wish I could take all her pain away, to get her away from this place. As I let go of her, she smiled up at me, looking as if everything would now be alright. If only that was true. When she gave Hiei and Kurama both hugs, I looked over at Keiko and Yusuke, who were still clinging to one another, looking as if they would never let go.

"Yusuke... Yusuke..." Keiko sobbed into his shoulder, clutching him tighter, "I thought you were never coming back and—Oh Yusuke, what's going to become of us?" She pulled away from him and gazed up at him. Yusuke sighed and shook his head, looking past her.

"I don't know," he stated blankly, "It's not in our power to know." Kurama looked away from them, his eyes damp. He looked over at Yukina.

"Hello Yukina... do you know where Shizuru is?"

"Yeah... where has my big sis gotten to?" I asked, looking around the clearing that we had found the two girls in. Yukina suddenly had a look of great fear sweep across her features.

"She must... she must have fallen back when—when we were being chased by those Kokuei members—"

"What!"

I know I had abandoned everyone, but I just had to go back and find Shizuru. My sister was all I the only family I had left, and no matter how much she picked on me or made me feel stupid, I would always need her there for me. I don't know how long I had been running until I finally found her.

But I did at last. She was lying in a field, still conscious but slipping away from a wound on her back. It wasn't too big, but it was deep, and blood was slowly trickling down to the floor, and collecting in a large puddle beside her.

"Big sis..." I whispered, turning her over so she was facing me. A smile appeared on her dry lips as she saw who was kneeling next to her. She lifted her hand up to my cheek.

"So, you decided to come back?" was all she said, her voice croaky.

"Yes..." I couldn't think of anything to say.

"You are a very good brother, you know?" she said with a tender smile, "I'm glad to be able to tell you that..." My eyes watered, but I did not cry. She wouldn't want that. There was no hope, but I vowed to stay with her while she died.

It didn't take long. Before I knew it, her hand had fallen from its previous place, to rest on the floor beside her limp body. I wished I had the time to bury her. But a sudden sound, and the knowledge that I had to protect the rest of them... I hate myself for it... but I left her.

I stood up, and ran down the path from which I had come. I was very disturbed to hear loud noises coming from behind me, and a little ways in front.

As I ran I couldn't help but worry that the... the... the Evil had caught up with Yukina and the rest of them... UG! I hated it... simply calling something your opponent "The Evil". It always sounded so low to me. Almost like you where claiming you were the superior. Or you didn't know who you where up against. But then again, maybe we really _didn't_ know... that thought scared me, so I tried hard to bring my mind away from our shadowed foe and my sister's death and into my love, Yukina. But even that didn't ease my mind.

Evil always finds pleasure in tainting the innocent. True, enjoyment also comes when dragging a tortured and darkened soul down into the very depths of despair, but... I have found corrupting a truly pure and untouched spirit is something they really yearn for. And that meant that my dear sweet was in the most danger. She was as pure as snow... not one thought of evil or malice could flow from thoughts to actions for her... they would truly enjoy breaking her.

I was shaken out of my musing by the sound of a scream and struggling. I sped up.


End file.
